Transfer attachment for envelope forming machine



c. HARPER July 22, 1969 TRANSFER ATTACHMENT FOR ENVELOPE FORMING MACHINE Filed May 2, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

CALVIN L. HARPER ATTORNEY.

1969 c. 1.. HARPER 3,456,942

TRANSFER ATTACHMENT FOR ENVELOPE FORMING MACHINE Filed May 2, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 CALVIN L. HARPER wan v uzm.

ATTORNEY.

C L. HARPER July 22, 1969 TRANSFER ATTACHMENT FOR ENVELOPE FORMING MACHINE Filed May 2, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

CALVIN L. HARPER ATTORNEY.

July 22, 1969 c. L. HARPER 3,456,942

TRANSFER ATTACHMENT FOR ENVELOPE FORMING MACHINE Filed May 2, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

CALVIN L HARPER ATTORNEY.

July 22, 1969 c. L. HARPER 3,456,942

TRANSFER ATTACHMENT FOR ENVELOPE FORMING MACHINE Filed May 2/1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR,

E CALVIN L.HARPER ATTO RN EY.

United States Patent 3,456,942 TRANSFER ATTACHMENT FOR ENVELOPE FORMING MACHINE Calvin L. Harper, Fort Thomas, Ky., assignor to Envelope Conversion Equipment Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 2, 1967, Ser. No. 635,583

Int. Cl. 1365b 5/08, 3/08; 1531b 21/74 US. Cl. 271-2 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention refers to the envelope forming machine art, and relates particularly to a transfer attachment unit which may be substituted into an existing envelope manufacturing machine, which thereupon will be enabled to produces envelopes at a much higher rate of speed.

Machines for the volume production of finished envelopes from appropriately shaped blanks have long been known. In such machines the entire process of formation of finished envelopes is continuously carried on. All that is required is that a stack of paper be cut to the appropriate shape for envelope blanks, and this stack placed within the machine. The machine then takes over, applying adhesive and drying it at the seal flap, then scoring the blank where necessary, folding and gluing the various flaps together to produce a finished envelope. S-uch old machines continue to be used because, in view of their complexity of construction, they were substantial in initial cost, and still do continue to perform.

While the old machines can, continue to produce envelopes, more recent envelope forming machines are capable of doing the same thing at a higher rate of speed, threatening to make obsolete the known envelope forming machines. I have found that it is possible to improve the performance of the existing machines to highly increase the rate of production of envelopes to the extent that they are competitive with the more recently introduced higher speed machines, and this is the primary object of this invention.

In the older style envelope forming machines, with which we are here concerned, the first step in forming envelopes is to apply adhesive to the seal flap and dry it. Envelope blanks are loaded into the machine in a stack and it is necessary first to separate the blanks in the stacks in such manner that they flow into the machine on a conveyor belt with each blank overlapping the preceding one, leaving just enough clearance between one blank and the next to define a seal flap. When blanks are flowing into the machine, adhesive is applied by an applicator means and then dried. I have found that it is possible to speed up the operation in such machine by providing for increased speed of delivery of envelopes from the stack of blanks to the adhesive applicator, for it is here that the major obstacle to increased speed is presented. If one attempts to speed up existing components, it will be found that they, and supports therefor, cannot withstand the stresses and strains of increased speed.

3,456,942 Patented July 22, 1969 I contemplate modifying the construction of the original machine at the location in the machine where envelope blanks are transferred from the initial stack to the adhesive applicator, doing this by remvoing from the existing machine those parts which now are relied upon to accomplish this transfer function and substituting in their place a pre-assembled and pre-timed unit which needs only to be secured in place on the existing walls of the machine and then operated. Upon such operation envelope blanks will flow into the machine at a much faster rate and the machine will be able to handle the increased speed of operation without mechanical breakdown. I have found that sturdy support of operating parts is vitally important to success in achieving the objective I seek to implement. Sturdiness is achieved in my novel transfer attachment unit by providing major support means inwardly of the side walls of the existing machine, and adequately supporting such means on the existing side walls. I then dispose the transfer attachment operative elements for the most part within such means so that strong support is offered to the operative elements which may then be operated at high speed without adverse effect.

Another object herein is to provide a pre-assembled unit which may be incorporated into the existing envelope forming machine with a minimum of difliculty and interruption with production. Heretofore where any improvements in such machines have been made it has been necessary to take the machine out of production for a substantial length of time while the machine itself was modified piece by piece. I contemplate that my novel transfer attachment may be simply introduced by removing the existing components which perform this function in the present machine, and after their removal simply installing as a unit my present invention. It has heretofore been believed that it was not possible to speed up the operation of the transfer means in envelope forming machines because operative parts were disposed on shafts which had to be supported between the side walls of the machine and such shafts were for that reason of relatively great length. Where a shaft, then, had to rotate, because of its length it could not withstand high speed rotation. I have found a remedy for this ditficulty which permits high speed rotation yet affords good support to the shaft when such rotation occurs. The means for this is the manner of support which I employ, the support means itself being firmly secured to the side walls of the machine. Being so supported, adequate support for the operative elements of the transfer attachment is provided.

In addition to providing support suitable for high speed machine operation which had heretofore been believed unobtainable in the existing machine, I provide a rotating deflector means in place of what had before been a reciprocating member. Such rotating member is capable of performing the same function as the former member, but because it is a balanced rotating element it can easily operate at a much higher speed than the former means.

How these and many other objects are to be implemented will become clear through a consideration of the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a general side elevational view of an envelope forming machine into which the transfer attachment, subject of the present invention, has been incorporated, its location being at the right in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 depicts a flat blank of paper from which an envelope may be formed;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the present transfer attachment showing how it is mounted within the envelope forming machine:

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the transfer unit removed from the envelope forming machine;

FIG. 5 shows a side view of the suction means, for clarity separated from the other parts of the attachment, and associated parts for controlling it;

FIG. 6 presents a side view of movable stack support means shown alone for clarity and parts associated therewith for controlling it;

FIG. 7 shows a side view of the S-blade deflector means and parts associated therewith for controlling it separated from the rest of the attachment for clarity;

FIG. 8 shows a side view of a reciprocating roll and parts associated therewith for the control of the action of a reciprocating roll apart from the rest of the attachment;

FIG. 9 shows a side view of a finger and belt means for cooperating with the feed roller to accomplish the transfer of envelope blanks to the given roller, the rest of the transfer attachment being omitted.

The location of the transfer attachment, subject of the present invention, in an envelope forming machine which is otherwise of conventional construction and therefore not shown in detail is presented in FIG. 1. The envelope forming machine generally is designated 10, and 11 designates the transfer attachment unit as a whole disposed within such machine 10.

Machine forms a complete envelope from flat die cut blanks of paper having the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the blank being indexed 12. The machine applies a strip of adhesive 13 along the edge of the seal flap 14 of the blank as its first operation and thereafter carries out the necessary folding and sealing of the blank in order to produce as an end product an envelope of familiar appearance. The present invention relates to that portion of the machine 10 concerned with presenting envelope blanks to an adhesive applicator 15 in the desired manner for the application of adhesive.

In the operation of machine 10, stack 16 consisting of a number of blanks 12 in registry with each other is supported within the machine 10 by known means consisting of a pair of horizontally disposed rotatable discs 17 each having a radial notch in it. One side of the notch is higher than the other so that upon rotation of the discs, a blank may be released from the stack. The present invention which will hereafter be described in detail, providing an improved means for delivering blanks from the stack 16 to the adhesive applicator 15, then comes into play. The applicator 15, conventional in machine 10, is unaffected by the present invention and is therefore not shown in detail. Also unaffected and therefore not shown in detail in the conventional machine 10 is feed roller 18 and gum roller 19.

In the operation of an envelope forming machine incorporating the present invention, it is desired that each blank be picked up by belts 20 and 21, which cooperate with feed roller 18, just ahead of the next succeeding blank removed from the stack 16. This means that successive blanks overlap each other as they are conducted on belts 20 and 21 with the seal flap 14 of each blank 12 being spaced just behind that of the blank in front of it. This spacing determines the width of the strip of adhesive 13 which will be applied by the adhesive applicator 15.

The purpose of the foregoing brief orientation with respect to machine 10 was necessary because the present invention relates to an improvement generally in such envelope forming machine 10, and specifically an improvement in the means by which individual blanks 12 are removed from stack 16 and transferred to belts 20 and 21 which cooperate with feed roller 18. It will be understood that the existing mechanism for accomplishing this is simply removed from the machine 10 and the new transfer attachment unit 11, subject of the present invention, is disposed in the machine in its place.

Side walls 24 are present in machine 10, only one of such side walls 24 being visible in the illustrations, though it will be understood that the attachment unit is secured to both walls in the same manner. Attachment unit 11 includes means for securing the unit to the machine by engaging such side walls. Thus, shaft segments 26 and 27 each has a tapped hole at its free end. Bolts 28 pass through the side walls in the same manner for both as illustrated in FIG. 3 for wall 24 and secure shaft segments 26 and 27 respectively with respect to such walls.

In addition, bar segments 33 and 34 support attachment unit 11 within the machine 10 by means of tie bars 35 and 36 respectively at the ends of which apertures occur through which bolts 37 and 38 can pass. Bolts 37 and 38 also pass through holes in the side walls in the same manner for both as illustrated in FIG. 3 for wall 24 and are secured in place by means of nuts 39 and 40. Attachment unit 11 is thus securely held in place within machine 10.

Left shaft segment 26 and bar segment 33 both terminate in plate 44 while right shaft segment 27 and bar segment 34 terminate in plate 45. Plates 44 and 45 are maintained in spaced relationship by means of spacer rods, as 46 and 47.

The foregoing elements of attachment unit 11, then, compromise the framework supporting the means which carry out separation of blanks and transfer of them to belts 20 and 21.

The removal of each blank from stack 16 represents a complete cycle of operation of the various elements hereafter to be described. Each cycle commences as suction pipe 53 comes into contact with the bottom blank in stack 16 as best seen in FIG. 5. Suction pipe 53 applies a suction in the machine, which suction is induced by means already known in envelope forming machines which are therefore not shown. Suction pipe 53 is rigidly mounted in block 54 which in turn is secured to suction pipe shaft 55 which may rotate within bushings 56 and 57, such bushings occurring in plates 44 and 45 respectively. Suction pipe shaft 55 extends through bushing 56 in plate 44. Its free end is then engaged by slotted arm 60, the slot 61 therein providing a cam follower for roller 62 which is staked to rotate eccentrically with gear 63 which is mounted for rotation on shaft 63a. As gear 63 rotates in the direction of the arrow seen in FIG. 5, it will be appreciated that suction pipe 53 moves from a position adjacent the bottom of the stack 15 of blanks, seen in solid lines in FIG. 5, downwardly to a position seen in dotted lines in FIG. 5 when suction is cut off to release the blank which then comes under the influence of the next succeeding blank engaging element, the S-blade deflector which will be hereafter described.

Rotary motion is imparted to gear 63 by meshing gear 64 which is mounted for rotation upon shaft 65. Sprocket 66 is also mounted on shaft 65. Shaft 67 having sprocket 68 mounted thereon is present in the basic machine 10 and is driven by conventional drive means Within said machine 10. Sprocket 68 drives shaft through link chain 69 which engages sprocket 66.

The next occurrence as suction pipe 53 pulls the bottom blank downwardly away from stack 16 of blanks is that horizontal tip 70 of movable stack support 71 moves into position beneath the remaining blanks in stack 16. The movable stack support 71 is fixed to shaft 72 rotatably mounted in plates 44 and 45. Horizontal tip 70 moves into and out of engagement with the bottom of stack 16 in the manner indicated by the horizontal double arrow seen in FIG. 6, such motion being achieved by rocking shaft 72.

This is done by means of a short cross arm 73 fixed to shaft 72, the other end of cross arm 73 being pivotably secured to link 74. Link 74 moves up and down as indicated by the vertical double arrow in FIG. 6, such motion being achieved because link 74 is connected at 75 to rocker 76. Rocker 76 is journalled to pivot upon rocker shaft 77, there being a cam follower 78 on rocker 76. Such cam follower 78 is in contact with cam surface 79 on cam 84) which is mounted to rotate with shaft 63a. It will therefore be appreciated that the means for rotation, shaft 630, which causes motion of roller 62 in actuating suction pipe 53 also causes in and out motion of horizontal tip 70. Horizontal tip is in place beneath stack 15 except for the brief time when suction pipe 53 pulls a blank away from such stack.

At this point separation of a blank from the stack has been accomplished and the next step is to transfer the blank to the feed roller 18.

Rotatable S-blade deflector 84 is the first element of the mechanism contacting the blank for this purpose. Points 85 and 86 contact the individual blanks removed from the stack 16 and deflects them downwardly. Rotation of S-blade deflector '84 is about S-blade deflector shaft 87 having sprocket 88 mounted thereon, such sprocket being rotated by link chain 89, the driver of such link chin 89 being second sprocket 90 mounted on rocker shaft 77. Larger diameter sprocket 91 is driven by a chain drive 914: from smaller sprocket 92 which is mounted on the main drive shaft 63a of the attachment unit. Lever arm 93 can be pivoted on shaft 77, and shaft 87 upon which S-blade deflector 84 is mounted is also mounted on arm 93. By exerting pressure at reduced section 94 of arm 93, such arm may pivot about shaft 77, raising S-blade deflector 84 away from the work area should any problem develop at that area.

Following deflection of the blank downwardly towards the surface of feed roller 18 the blank is picked up by, and held against the surface of such roller, by reciprocating roll 99. Such reciprocating roll has an up and down motion at an angle to the vertical as indicated by the double arrow in FIG. 8, such up and down motion being achieved by operation of the following component elements of the structure. Reciprocating roll 99 is rotatably mounted at the end of rod 190, there being an offset ear 101- at the end of rod where the reciprocating roll 99 occurs whereby such roll is offset from the axis of the rod 100. Rod 100 is pivotably pinned to rocker 102 which in turn is mounted upon rocker shaft 77 to rotate therewith. Rocker 102 is also fixedly mounted on rocker shaft 77 and can cause shaft 77 to pivot. There is a cam follower 104 rotatably mounted on control arm 103, such cam follower being in contact with cam surface 104a. Rotation of cam surface 104av thus serves, through the linkage described, to reciprocate the roll 99 to and away from feed roller 18. Spring 105 exerts a force on rod 100 in such manner that roll 99 is urged against feed roller 18.

After being momentarily pressed against the surface of feed roller 18 by reciprocating roll 99 the blank is carried to the belts 20 and 21, and the blank progresses thence towards the gum roller 19 through the cooperative action of feed roller 18 and belts 20 and 21. Such belts at one end pass over a rod 108 and fingers 109 are rigidly 6 mounted on such rod. Fingers 109 function simply as a guide for the blanks to belts 2i) and 21. When blanks pass to the grip between feed roller 18 and belts 2t) and 21, they have left that portion of machine 10 in which the present inventive transfer attachment is operative.

I claim:

1. In an envelope forming machine having sidewalls, means for supporting a stack of envelope blanks, a feed roller, and machine drive means, a transfer attachment for transferring envelope blanks from said stack of blanks to said feed roller comprising:

support means;

envelope transfer elements comprising:

movable stack support means for intermittently supporting said stack of envelope blanks;

suction means to begin the separation of an envelope blank from said stack of blanks;

rotatable S-blade deflector for urging a separated envelope blank toward said feed roller;

reciprocating roller means for pressing a separated envelope blank against said feed roller;

movable belt means adjacent said feed roller cooperating with said feed roller to convey envelope blanks; and

guide means adjacent said feed roller leading envelope blanks to said cooperating feed roller and movable belt means;

drive means for said envelope transfer elements interconnected with said machine drive means, said onvelope transfer elements and said drive means therefor being supported by and disposed between said support means; and

mounting means extending only between said support means and said supporting side walls for mounting said transfer attachment witthin said envelope forming machine.

2. In an envelope forming machine having sidewalls, means for supporting a stack of envelope blanks, a feed roller, and machine drive means, a transfer attachment as claimed in claim 1 wherein said support means comprises a pair of spaced vertically disposed plates.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,304,172 12/1942 Heywood 2711 3,155,386 11/1964 Burleigh 27129 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,136,147 12/1956 France.

RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 27129 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,456,942 July 22, 1969 Calvin P. Harper It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading to the drawings,sheets l to 5, "C. L. HARPE each occurrence, should read C. F. HARPER lower righthand corner of the drawings, "CALVIN L. HARPER", each occurrence, should read CALVIN F. HARPER In the heading tb the printed specification, line 4, "Calvin L. Harper" should read Calvin F. Harper Signed and sealed this 7th day of July 1970.

(SEAIJ zkttest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Commissioner of Patents Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Attesting Officer 

